School started for kiddo number one today, and will start for my ‘extra-sensory bird’ next week. The house will suddenly get a little quieter and outside, the air will get cooler and the leaves will begin to change.  Another summer has come and gone, and shorter days usher in the upcoming fall.

What a beautiful summer it has been!  When I step back to think over all that has happened, I’m amazed by the joy and simplicity that has been a part of my life.  For me, the season starts with my birthday, which I was lucky enough to celebrate with old friends, some I haven’t seen in many years.  

This summer was littered with love and laughter, serenity, friendship and hope.  There were countless days of quiet rides on horseback through the woods, where my mind was empty except for concentrating on the movement of muscle beneath me.  There were days of exploration, visiting places I’ve never been, soaking in nature and listening to the sound of waves on the riverbank.  

Friendship, new and old, seemed to be the general theme, and my house was full to overflowing with it over the last few months.  Traveling visitors from Kansas and Georgia, overnight guests from here and there, and everywhere.   I got to spend six wonderful weeks under the same roof with my best friend/writing partner--an even more appreciated event due to a near fatal car accident at the start of summer.  We celebrated her life, and it was a reason to introduce her to more of the people I love best. They welcomed her with open arms, just as she welcomed them as though they were loved ones instead of new acquaintances.

Cream puffs, planes, long country drives and concerts.  Fireflies at dusk, ice cream sandwiches, puppy cuddles and snuggles with the kids.  We soaked up summertime on the deck, slowly sipping coffee and renewing our spirit by watching the world spin wide around us.   

Age caught up to me in the form of a twenty-year high school reunion.  I am definitely not young anymore, but I’m certainly not old.  It is a blessing to see what has become of old friends, and to hear accounts of their lives first-hand in this age of social media, where real conversation has become a lost art.  

Labor Day was a busy weekend, wherein I got almost none of the projects done that I’d planned, and my fall ‘To Do’ list is still a mile long.  In exchange for pushing off chores, I celebrated the birthday of my son, hugged the stuffing out of my great-nieces, and went out for drinks with friends.  To top it off, I was lucky enough to have a long overdue visit with one of my oldest and dearest girlfriends, a woman who always has a way of making me feel as though I never walk alone through life.  What a blessing and a gift her friendship has been!

Sometimes summer felt like it was all planes, trains and automobiles, and other times I felt like a professional referee breaking up fights between my kids.  Yet, there was plenty of laughter, memories made over southern food, moments of inspiration found on the water, and smiles through tears

So now that September has rolled around, it’s time to step back, reflect and hold onto joy.  Summer was beautiful, and I can’t wait to see what fall will bring.  New adventures await me, blank pages beg to be filled, and just maybe, there might even be a little roller derby.  Maybe I should have spent part of the summer practicing how to skate.
Grateful... so incredibly grateful for this crazy, beautiful life.